PurpleAces wrote:I never said I would be embarrassed if they made the tourney. Hell I would have a viewing party at the house. I just don't see a snowballs chance in you know where that we will see that. First off if they do hats off because we will have guys playing 35min a game for 4 straight games to do it. I just don't think that will get the community back. I feel like Marty has had his time to do it and people have seen enough. I just can't see anything Marty can do right now to get more people out there. I hear it everyday at work. I don't even talk about them at work anymore because I am tired of hearing about it. I told my dad when they hired him I hope he works out because it will be hard to get rid of him if he doesn't. That's where we are at nobody wants to be the bad guy to fire Marty. Well that's good but we will lose what's left of this program if he continues to be the coach.

PurpleAces, I think any rational clear headed person would have to agree with you.

PurpleWhiskers wrote:It doesn't give me great pleasure to say that unless Ryan Taylor drops in 40 per game the rest of the way the Aces will be home in time to watch the OVC Tournament at the Ford Center. After 11 years of stubborn Marty's boring, antique system, winning Arch Madness would only give UE cover to extend his attendance-shrinking reign of mediocrity. There is no bigger Ace's fan than me, but I'd rather not trade potential long term success and a boost in attendance under a new coach for a short-lived thrill brought about only because four Ace's opponents unexpectedly collapsed in St. Louis.

How can you say your the biggest aces fan and then say something about four unexpected collapses by the opponent in the same paragraph? If they were to win the tournament it would be a TEAM effort and very well deserved.

The Aces usually do put forth a strong team effort. There is nothing rare about that from the Aces or any other team. Every coach and member of the media who participated in the preseason MVC prediction that UE would finish 9th took into account that the Aces would play hard to the finish in every game. They were right. They played hard and will most likely finish 9th. Playing hard is a guarantee of nothing. That means they will play the 8 seed on Thursday and be an underdog in every game they play (assuming the 7 seed beats the 10th seed). But yes, if they win the tournament they will have earned it. Deserved it and earned it are two different things. The deserving are the teams that played 18 conference games and were consistent winners home and away. That wouldn't be the Aces. But even the deserving have to earn it, although they will have the advantage of seeding and rest. I am rooting for UE to win the trophy but I also believe that losing the Thursday game may actually serve the greater good if it leads to change at the top.

I am one of the long term loyal Aces fans who has experienced the greatness of the Aces basketball program - I wasn't around to see the team in the College Div. national success (can only imagine what that was like), but I remember well the NCAA tournament victory over Oregon State and the excitement this entire city felt. I sat in Crazy Man's section high in the bleachers at Roberts and cheered the Aced on. I have been on fan buses that traveled to Butler and walked out with others after my Aces beat the Bulldogs. I yelled myself hoarse at St. Louis in that Championship game that we fought our way back from being 18 points down at halftime...and I was devastated to see that circus shot drop through the net...and watch that UNI player - can't remember his name, but can still see him running across the court to celebrate with the Panther fans. i can still feel the despair of that day....the finality of that one shot. I was sick and everyone else there seemed to feel the same (and we still hadn't been turned down by the NIT). The worst part of that moment was watching our guys on the court....to see the reality of the moment hit them, ending their right-there opportunity to make it to the the Big Dance...that's how you feel when you are a fan - those are your guys, your family.

I always want to win. I want the guys to play well and to meet their own individual potential. I will be hoping for good play and a victory for every game the remainder of the season......But we are in a situation with this program that critical concerns and comments simply are all we fans have to fight with to attempt to save this once-proud program. I do not consider these comments to be "hate Marty" comments. I do not feel that. What I do "hate" is what is happening to our basketball program, and I find it hard to get excited now that another season is ending the same way. I am much more concerned about what the university is going to do to save the Aces basketball program than when/whom we play in March. I think that is the feeling from a lot of us. We love our Aces. We want them to win. But what we want most is much broader.....WE WANT TO SAVE A ND REBUILD THIS EVANSVILLE BASKETBALL PROGRAM!

Aces1982 wrote:Am I reading this right? People have such hate for Simmons, that they would rather lose then get in the NCAA?Not sure I have ever heard fans, from a school that hasn't been to NCAA in almost 20 years, say they don't want to go to NCAA because it would be just an embarrassment.If anyone feels this strongly, then they really should stop attending games and drop their season tickets.